Former Raiders left tackle Art Shell and left guard Gene Upshaw are widely recognized among the best offensive line tandems in NFL history. That fact was perfectly clear in Super Bowl XI, when the Raiders rushed for a then Super Bowl record 266 yards.
Most of that came running toward the left side. The Raiders ran 52 times in a 32-14 victory over Minnesota Vikings and their famous “Purple People Eaters” defense.
Shell and Upshaw also clocked the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV, as they did to many opponents over the years playing next to each other.
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Those performances helped earn Shell and Upshaw a spot next to each other on the Super Bowl Golden team, which was announced on Thursday in honor of the NFL championship game’s 50th anniversary. The team honors 26 players and a head coach in Pittsburgh’s Chuck Knoll.
Raiders punter Ray Guy was also included on the team. He won three Super Bowls with the Silver and Black and was a vital cog in those efforts. All three Raiders on this team were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Super Bowl 50 will be played Feb. 7 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara.
SUPER BOWL 50 GOLDEN TEAM
NFL
Head coach: Chuck Noll
OFFENSE
Quarterback: Joe Montana
Running back: Franco Harris, Emmitt Smith
Wide receiver: Jerry Rice, Lynn Swann
Tight end: Jay Novacek
Offensive tackle: Art Shell, Forrest Gregg
Offensive guard: Gene Upshaw, Larry Allen
Center: Mike Webster
DEFENSE
Defensive end: Reggie White, Charles Haley
Interior linemen: Joe Greene, Randy White
Outside linebacker: Lawrence Taylor, Jack Ham
Inside linebacker: Jack Lambert, Ray Lewis
Cornerback: Mel Blount, Deion Sanders
Safety: Ronnie Lott, Jake Scott
SPECIALISTS
Kicker: Adam Vinatieri
Punter: Ray Guy
Return specialist: Desmond Howard